Trump to end key ACA subsidies, a move that will threaten the law’s marketplaces (222 hits)

Trump to end key ACA subsidies, a move that will threaten the law’s marketplaces
By Amy Goldstein, Juliet Eilperin -- The Washington Post

President Trump is throwing a bomb into the insurance marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act, choosing to end critical payments to health insurers that help millions of lower-income Americans afford coverage. The decision coincides with an executive order on Thursday to allow alternative health plans that skirt the law’s requirements.

The White House confirmed late Thursday that it would halt federal payments for cost-sharing reductions, although a statement did not specify when. Another statement a short time later by top officials at the Health and Human Services Department said the cutoff would be immediate. The subsidies total about $7 billion this year.